Man's oldest foe can be tamed. What once only caused forest fires can now bring light, warmth and hot beans.
Situate your fire at least 10 feet away from tents, trees, roots and other flammable items if there's no fire ring available. Clear a space 24 to 32 inches across.
Don't make a ring of rocks if one isn't already there, and don't build against a boulder or other rocks. This will needlessly char the rocks without adding any significant containment to the fire.
Gather firewood and kindling if necessary, using only fallen branches. Note that many parks and wilderness areas even forbid gathering fallen material, which plays an important role in the ecosystem.
Build a small, loose pile of kindling, making sure to allow space for air to feed the fire. Include paper scraps, dry plant matter and other small, flammable items.
Construct a pyramid of dry twigs and small sticks around and above the kindling pile.
Light the kindling with a match.
Add increasingly larger sticks and then logs as the fire grows in strength, always leaving enough space between them for the fire to breathe.
